Frog, You’re It: the Long Road to Yarny Perfection.

Ooooh, pictures!  Nifteh!  And there was lots and lots of rejoice.  Huzzah!  Less huzzah is fact that fine piece of knitting seen in picture no longer exists.  It was ripped out mercilessly by yours truly because apparently didn’t really like it after all.  The art of ripping out yarny stuff is called “frogging”.  Or so am told.  No idea why it is called that.  Can confirm (firsthand experience!) that no frogs whatsoever are hurt or otherwise involved during this process.  Just you and some yarn.  Rip.  Rip.  Rip.  Rip.  Ripi t.  Ripit.  Ribbit?  Hmmm… a theory has emerged!  Yay me and my superior intellectual skills.  Will of course do some research and inform you of results at a later time.

 

Anywayz.  The Noble Art of Frogging.  Why would anyone willingly destroy hours of work?  Sometimes it seems like have developed some kind of masochistic streak when it comes to killing my yarny creations.

 

First victim was the skull jumper on the first picture.  Was going to make a dress for my little girl and this one seemed like lots and lots of fun.  So happily set off.  When finally managed to join the thing in the round (the Joy of Twisted Joins is something to recall some other time.  Maybe.) things went great.  I even managed to do the skull motif quite swiftly.  And then.  Skulls all done.  Looking at it.  Hmmm.  Not really what I thought this would be.  Hmmm.  Maybe would look better with only one skull?  Rip it. Rip it.  Rip it.  Aaaand gone.  Boo.  Happily started over.  But never managed to tame the Evil Join in the Round again.  Sad face.  This must be punishment for killing a perfectly pretty piece of knitting for no other reason that “hmmm, not really what I wanted.”

 Second Infamous Case of Frogging was a summer dress  for little girl.  This was Most Ambitious Project.  Involved lace knitting.  Which is, in short, knitting with holes in it.  Holes made on purpose.  Never done that before, b ut am Undaunting Knitter, so happily started off.  First attempt found out that had magically achieved a most unwanted multiplying of stitches.  Rip it.  Rip it.  Second  and third attempt something went wrong with the pattern and things didn’t line up properly.  Rip it.  Rip it.  Am really getting convinced of correctness of theory btw. 

 

And another cast on.  Which I loathe with a passion.  Casting on – or better – the first needle after the cast on.  Can’t remember what went wrong the fourth time, but… Rip it. Rip it.  Only half a frog though as happily managed to save the unlacy stuffs.  Yay me!  Fifth time things went really grand (see pic) until I compared it with pics of other dresses.  Hmm.  Doesn’t look the same.  At al l.  Had it all wrong because got confused by pattern translation.  Rip it.  Rip it.  Right.  Sixth time definitely a charm.  Finally, we were off!  Huzzah.  The result is on pic below.

 

 

Mother made remark about holes being rather big for such a small dress.  Waved it away at time but kinda confirmed the ever growing nagging at back of head that it kinda looked crude.  Too crude.  And that was not strange in itself as was using a slightly bigger needle than required because didn’t have the smaller size.  So, could spend lots and lots of time at a dress that would be a disappointment.  Or could do some more ripping.  Choose the latter.  Ordered smaller needles.  Will start again next March or April.  And at least I know how it works now.  Fingers crossed for keeping out the frogs next year.

And finally. Hic erat Draconem.  Finally started on the mother of amigurumi: my 55cm fire dragon.  Decided this would be Euro 2012 project par excellence.  Big enough to crochet while watching football.  After three nights I had quite a lot of dragon.  But something wasn’t right.  Neck too long.  Argh.  Also.  Huge dent in thumb from crochet hook.  Rip it. Rip it.  Dragon all gone.  Will start over again tonight. 

So.  Well.  Maybe a bit masochistic.  But want to achieve perfection.  Or as close to perfection as i s possible.  Am blessed with stubbornness which allows me to start over again.  And again.  And again if need be.  Will. Not. Admit.  Defeat.  Frogging great to make bad character traits shine like a thousand suns!   Yay! 

Ok.  Got carried away and completely lost track of what was really going to say.  Would have had a great pun to insert here if was writing in Dutch.  Completely lost my thread.  Does that exist in English?  If it didn’t it does now. 

 

Right.  Back to my dragon.  Rawr!